Box or crate



Aug. 22, 1950 A. c. THOMPSON BOX 0R CRATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1949 J11 wen for 42 17210 lfiozryasoiz awm@% A. C- THOMPSON Aug. 22, 1950 BOX 0R CRATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28, 1949 Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

lhis invention relates to an improved box or The prefabricated side and end walls of the box or crate disclosed in my prior application are made of equal height and are interlocked with each other by a novel arrangement of illterfitting cleats including a pair of parallel cleats secured to and extending horizontally across the upper and lower portions of each end wall and a pair of parallel vertical cleats secured to opposite ends of each side wall, the horizontal end wall cleats bein formed with bevelled surfaces overlying and facing panel portions of the end walls to which said cleats are secured and the side wall cleats being formed with bevelled ends which are interposed between the panels and cleats of the end walls so that the bevelled ends of the side wall cleats are opposed to and engage the bevelled surfaces of the end wall cleats. The box or crate is closed at the top and bottom by prefabricated top and bottom walls which are simply butted against the upper and lower horizontal edges of the previously interlocked side and end Walls and then nailed to the end wall cleats so that certain of the nails are driven into the side wall cleats and thereby serve to secure the side and end walls together in their interlocking relationship.

According to the present invention the cleated side and end walls of the box or crate are interlocked with each other substantially as described in my prior application and are then assembled with a bottom wall equipped with side wall retaining members disposed to overlie the lower portions of the side walls to thereby retain the side Walls in their assembled relation with the end walls during the filling of the box. When the filling operation is completed, the top of the box is closed by applyin a top wall equipped with side wall retaining members which fit over the upper portions of the side walls to assist in retaining the latter in their assembled relation with the end walls. This improved construction has several important advantages. It saves considerable time and labor by eliminating the necessity of nailing together the side and end walls to prevent separation thereof by the pressure of material packed into the box during the filling operation. When the box is closed for shipment the side and end walls are effectively held together solely by the side wall retaining members of the top and bottom walls and the latter may be quickly and easily secured in place by various expedients. In a preferred application of the invention, the top and bottom walls are simply bound in place by binding wires or strapping secured around the box so as to overlie the top, bottom and side walls. The characteristic advantage of this method of securing the top and bottom walls in place is that the component walls of the box are not directly secured together by nails or other similar fastening means and may therefore be quickly separated from each other after cutting the binding wires or straps to enable the box to be stored or reshipped in a knockdown condition. If, as is also contemplated by the invention, the top and bottom walls are secured in place by a few easily removable staples or cleats, the setting up and dismantling of the component walls of the box may still be accomplished with greater facility than in the case where the walls are nailed together as described in my prior application.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a box of the solid wall type embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the box as it appears with all the component walls fitted together in interlocking relationship with each other.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the section line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the section line 4% of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detailed View further illustrating the manner in which the top wall is formed and assembled with the side and end walls to retain the latter walls in their interlocking relationship with each other.

In the present drawings the invention is shown embodied in a box of the solid wall type comprising prefabricated side wall 6, end walls '5, top wall 8 and bottom wall 9. This showing of a solid wall type of box is, however, merely by way of example since the novel principles involved in the construction and assembly of the component walls of the box are applicable to the pro-- duction of boxes or crates of the open-work or slatted wall type.

As previously indicated a salient feature of the invention is the elimination of the necessity of nailing together the component prefabricated walls of the box for setting up, filling and closing purposes. This is accomplished by redesigning the side and top and bottom wall members as hereinafter described so that the top and bottom Walls have interlocking engagement with the side and end walls and serve, by virtue of such interlocking engagement, to secure the side walls in their assembled relation with the end walls and to otherwise improve the box.

As here shown, each side wall 6 is a completely prefabricated unit comprising a panel 10 and a pair of vertically extending parallel cleats H positioned :at opposite ends of said panel and rigidly secured to the inner surface thereof by nails 12 or other suitable fastening means. The length of cleats II is such that their ends project beyond the horizontal edges of panel ll. The projecting ends of each cleat II are shaped to provide the inclined surfaces indicated at (3.

Each end wall "I is also a completely fabricated unit comprising a panel 14 and upper and lower parallel cleats i and IE extending across and secured to the outer surface of panel [4 adjacent its upper and lower edges. The inner longitudinal edges of cleats l5 and it are shaped to present bevelled 'sin'faces I! facing toward and overlying .p'an'el 1'4' and spaced therefrom.

The top wall 8 is a completely prefabricated unit comprising an panel It and laterally disposed downwardly projecting parallel cleats 20, the latter being secured to the underside of panel is adiacent its lateral edges.

The bottom wall $3 is a completely prefabricated unit comprising a panel 2! and a pair of upwardly projecting laterally disposed cleats 22 secured to the upper side of panel 2| adjacent its lateral edges.

lhe cleats 2% of top wall member 8 are made long enough to project a substantial distance beyond the end edges of top wall .panel I9. The cleats 22 of the bottom wall member '9 are similary made long enough to project an appreciable distance beyond the end edges of the bottom wall panel 2 I.

I he preferred procedure for assembling the component walls of the box in interlocking engagement with each other is preferably as follows 'end wall panels 14 so that, when the side and end walls are assembled in interlocking engagement with each other, the horizontal edges of the end wall panels l4 project beyond the corresponding horizontal edges of the side Wall panels IE1.

Following the assembly of the side and end walls or the box, the panel 2i of bottom wall 9 is fitted between the projecting lower portions of the end wall panels it so that the upwardly projecting bottom wall cleats 22 bear against the lower horizontal edges of the end wall .panels ID. The end portions of the bottom wall cleats 22 are thus disposed to overlie the lower ends of the side wall cleats It, as clearly shown in Figure 2,

and to resist outward displacement of the side wall cleats from their interlocking engagement with the panels and cleats of the end walls during the filling or packing of the boxes.

After the filling or packing of the open-top box formed by the interlocking assembly of the side and end walls with each other and with the bottom wall has been completed, the top wall is applied by fitting the top wall panel l9 between the projecting upper portions of the end wall panels 14 so that the top wall cleats 20 are fitted against the upper horizontal edges of the end wall panels [0, with the ends of said cleats overlying the upper ends of the side wall cleats l I to assist in holding the side and end Walls in their assembled relation.

Following the application of top wall 8, suitable binding wires or straps (not shown) may be passed around the box and secured in place in such manner as to bind the top and bottom Walls in their assembled relation with the side and end walls. When these straps or wires are cut, the box may be quickly and easily dismantled by first slid-ably separating the top and bottom walls from the interlocked side and end walls and then sli'dably separating the side walls from the end walls.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple form of knock -down box or crate which may be easily and quickly set up merely by sli'dably fitting the component walls together in interlocking engagement with each other and which is also easily and quickly dismantled to facilitate storage or re-shipment of the box in a knock-down condition. It will also be noted that the fitting of the top and bottom wall panels between the end wall panels enables the top and bottom walls to serve as bracing members for the end walls and to thereby greatly increase the strength and rigidity of the box. The fitting of the top and bottom wall panels between the end wall panels also effectively secures the top and bottom walls against horizontal movement in one direction relative to the side and end walls while the fitting of the top and bottom wall cleats over the side edges of the end walls and over the side wall cleats efiec'tiv'ely secures the top and bottom walls against horizontal movement in a direction at right angles to the plane of the side walls.

Various modifications may be resorted to in the construction nd assembly of the component walls of the box or crate without departing from the novel principles of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, it is entirely feasible to design the top and bottom walls and the side walls so that the top and bottom wall panels may be fitted between the end wall panels to directly engage the horizontal edges of the side wall panels with the top and bottom cleats disposed to overlie the outer surfaces of the side wall panels. This modification requires merely a slight increase in the width of the top and bottom wall panels so that the top bottom wall cleats will fit over the side wall panels instead of engaging the horizontal edges of the side wall panels. It will also require .a slight increase in the height-of the side wall panels where it is desired to have the outer surfaces of the top and bottom wall panels flush with the adjacent horizontal edges of the end wall panels. It will also be understood that the top and 'bottom wall-cleats may be replaced by other types of side wall engaging-members which, when the top and bottom wall panels are fitted in .place between the end wall panels will engage over the outer sides of the side wall panels to hold the side and end walls in their interlocking assemb v.

As previously stated, the securing of the top and bottom wall members in place by wire ties or steel strapping passed around the box is only one of several expedients that may be employed for this purpose. For example, it is entirely feasible to cleat the top and bottom walls in place by cleats secured to the end wall units to overlie the projecting end portions of the top and bottom wall cleats. The suggested stapling of the top and bottom walls may be accomplished by driving a few staples into or through these walls and. adjoining portions of the end and/or side walls. The ends of all or certain of the end wall cleats may also be fastened by staples to the adjacent ends of the side wall cleats to assist in holding the side and end walls togethe in cases where such additional holding means is desired or necessary.

Instances also arise where the top wall of the box is not required such, for example, as when the box is to be used as an open-top tote box, field crate, etc. In such instances the top wall may be omitted and a pair of binding wires or straps secured around the side and bottom walls so that said binding wires or straps are positioned immediately adjacent the inner sides of the end walls.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A box or crate comprising separately prefabricated top, bottom, side and end wall units, each end wall unit including a panel and a pair of parallel cleats extending transversely across the upper and lower portions of the panel, each end wall cleat being formed with a bevelled surface at each end overlying and facing toward the end wall panel to which it is attached, each side wall unit including a side wall panel and a. pair of vertically extending cleats located at opposite ends of the side wall panel and secured to the inner surfaces thereof so as to overlap the end wall panels, the ends of each side wall cleat being formed with a mitered bevel conforming to the bevel surfaces on the end wall cleats and interposed between an end wall panel and the bevel surfaces of the cleats attached to said end wall panel when the side and end walls are assembled, each of the top and bottom wall units including a panel and laterally disposed side wall retaining members carried by said panel, said top and bottom wall units being adapted to be assembled with the previously assembled side and end wall units so that the side wall retaining members of the top and bottom wall units overlie portions of the side wall units and serve to retain the latter in their assembled relation with the end wall units.

2. A box or crate comprising separately prefabricated top, bottom, end and side wall units, each end wall unit comprising a panel and top and bottom cleats extending horizontally across the upper and lower portions of the panel and having their inner side edges undercut t present surfaces facing toward and overlying the panel in spaced relation thereto, each side wall unit comprising a panel and vertically extending cleats secured to opposite ends of said panel, the ends of each side wall cleat being shaped so as to conform to the undercut surfaces on the end wall cleats and interposed between an end wall panel and the undercut surface of the cleats thereon when the side and end wall are assembled, the end wall panels being made of sufficient height to project above and below the side wall panels and the cleats of each side wall unit being made of suiiicient length to project above and below the panel of said unit, each top wall unit including a. top wall panel and laterally disposed cleats secured to and extending downwardly from the lateral margins of the top wall panel, the top wall panel being fitted between the portions of the end wall panels which project above the side wall panels and the cleats of the top wall panel being fitted against the upper edges of the side wall panels and being made of sufficient length to overlie the portions of the side wall cleats which project above the side wall panels, the bottom wall unit comprising a bottom panel and laterally disposed cleats secured to and projecting upwardly from the lateral edges of said bottom panel, the bottom wall panel being fitted between the lower portions of the end wall panels which project below the side wall panels and the upwardly projecting cleats of the bottom wall panel being fitted against the lower edges of the side wall panels and being made of sufflcient length to overlie the lower portions of the side wall cleats which project below the side Wall panels.

ARTHUR C. THOMPSON.

Country Date Great Britain July 13, 1911 Number 

